USA > New Hampshire > The history of New-Hampshire. Comprehending the events of one complete century and seventy-five years from the discovery of the River Pascataqua to the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety, Vol 3 > Part 2
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A freezing rain is no uncommon fpectacle. The trees are fometimes fo incrufted with ice that the finaller branches break with its weight. The fun, fhining on thefe incruftations, affords a brilliant en- tertainment to a curious fpectator ; but it is of fhort duration.
On the feventeenth of February, 1782, an unufual kind of hoar froft was obferved. The wind had been northerly on the preceding day, with fome ap- pearance of fnow. The morning was calm and foggy. The trees and bufhes were white with froft, which appeared on the north fides, only, of the twigs and fmaller branches ; but on the larger limbs and trunks, there was none : Nor was any feen on the houfes or fences, excepting on the fharp edges of boards ; but every point of a flick or nail, and every rope and ftring, which was expofed to the north, was covered. The fpicula were of all lengths, from an inch downward, and about the thicknefs of a knitting pin. They increafed in number and fize, for about two hours after the rifing of the fun ;
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and in about an hour after this, began to fall, like fnow, on the ground ; they did not all difappear till two hours after noon.
Light frofts have been known in every month of the year, excepting July. In June, 1764, a fudden froft nipped the Indian corn, then newly fprouted ; but it recovered and fprouted again. A froft in Au- guft is generally deftructive to this vegetable ; the corn being then in the milk. After it has grown beyond this ftage, the froft ferves to open the hufk and dry the ears, to prepare it for harveft.
A foutheaft ftorm is often as violent, but common- ly fhorter, than one from the northeaft ; if it begin with fnow it foon changes to rain. A brifk wind from the weft or fouth weft, with a flight of fnow or rain, fometimes happens, but its duration is very fhort. Squalls of this kind are common in March.
In the fpring months there is generally a land breeze in the morning ; a fea breeze begins an hour or two before noon, and continues till about the fet- ting of the fun. The heat of fummer is alfo fre- quently allayed by breezes from the fea, but they do not reach more than twenty or thirty miles into the country, and the lighter ones not fo far. The northeaft ftorms penetrate fixty or feventy miles, but their violence is abated at that diftance from the fea.
In July the weather is clear and hot. In Auguft the heat is greateft, and is accompanied with a difa- greeable dampnefs. Thunder is frequent in the fummer months ; it is fometimes heard in fpring and autumn, but rarely in the winter, though in fnow ftorms the air is often highly electrified, and flafhes are fometimes feen. Thunder fhowers in the fummer commonly rife in the weftern quarter, and pafs over to the caft ; if they rife in the north or northeaft, they produce hail, which fometimes
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proves deftructive to the fields ; but this mifchief it never very extenfive. The hail has been known to lie in hollow places, where it has rolled into heaps, till the fucceeding day ; but for the moft part, it melts foon after falling.
It has often been obferved that thunder clouds, when near the earth, feem to be attracted by large collections of water. In the neighbourhood of lakes and ponds, the thunder is reverberated from the furrounding mountains, in a grand and folemn echo of long continuance. One of the moft violent thun- der ftorms which was ever known in the maritime parts of New-Hampfhire, was on the fourth of May, 1779, at noon. A cloud rofe in the N. W. and another in the S. W. at the fame time ; they croffed each other, and the former paffed very near the earth ; a very black darknefs came on, the lightning was an inceffant glare, and the thunder a continual peal for about an hour. Many trees, feveral barns, mills and dwelling-houfes were ftruck ; cattle and fheep were killed in the paftures in feveral towns ; and a valuable new houfe, built for religious worfhip, at Somerfworth, was fet on fire and confumed. Its fteeple had a metallic vane and fpindle, but no con - ductor to the earth. The bell was melted, and fell while in a ftate of fufion, and no piece of it larger than a mufket ball could be found. The effects of this ftorm were to be traced from Kingfton, in a northeafterly direction, to the river Kennebeck.
A fouthweft breeze in fummer is accompanied with a ferene fky, and this is the warmeft of our winds. Probably the tradition of the natives, that heaven is fituated in the S. W. arofe from this cir- cumftance. The N. W. wind does not blow in fum- mer, but after a thunder fhower, when its elafticity and coolnefs are as refreshing as the preceding heat is tedious.
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Sometimes the extreme heat of feveral days, pro- duces, in the maritime parts, a fea turn, and in the inland parts, a whirlwind. A remarkable inftance of both happened in June, 1782. The heat had been extreme for five days. On the 22d, after the fetting of the fun, the wind fuddenly thifted from S. W. to N. E. This change fenfibly affected the human body, and rendered an additional garment neceffa- ry. A very large quantity of Siberian wheat was at that time in a ftate of luxuriant vegetation. As far as the fea wind extended, which was from twen- ty to thirty miles, the wheat was chilled and blaft- ed ; beyond that diftance it was not injured. The next day a whirlwind began near the river Connec- ticut, the weftern boundary of New-Hampfhire, and directed its courfe toward the eaft, in a vein of near half a mile wide. In its progrefs its fury abated ; but the blaft extended to the fea, and was accompa- nied with thunder and rain.
Inftances of fudden changes in the weather, are noted in the earlieft accounts of the country. In 1658, when the apple trees were in bloffom, there came on fuch a fudden and fevere degree of cold, that in a fifhing boat belonging to Hampton, one man died before they could reach the thore, anoth- er was fo chilled that he died in a few days, and a third loft his feet .* This inftance is very fingular. The common feafon for the apple trees to bloffom, is about the third week in May ; but they are earlier or later according to the degree of heat. On the eleventh of May, 1769, when the trees were in bloom, an unufual flight of fnow covered them in the afternoon, and continued till the next morning.
In a very warm autumn the earlieft apple trees have produced bloffoms; and rofes have blown in the month of October, but thefe appearances are very rare.
# MS letter of Rev. Mr. Gookin to Rev. Mr. Prince.
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Sudden changes from cold to heat are lefs fre- quent than the contrary. 'The moft remarkable in- ftance of this kind happened in the winter of 1759 '60. It was on the Lord's day, in the time of morn- ing fervice. There had been a freezing rain in the preceding night; and the trees, houfes, and carth were covered with ice. On a fudden, the wind changed to the fouth ; the ice fell from the trees, with a crackling noife, and a vapour rofe from the houfes as if they had been on fire. On coming in- to the open air, the change of the weather from fe- vere cold, to fummer heat, was aftonifhing. The greateft degree of heat which has been obferved by Farenheit's thermometer is 9% and of cold ;. Thefe obfervations were made at Portfmouth.
Notwithftanding thefe anomalous inftances of in- equality and fudden tranfition, the fky is common- ly fettled and ferene for many days together, and the changes of weather are gradual. In-the winter, a dry feafon, if there be fnow on the ground, is fa- vourable for the purpofe of tranfportation in fleighs and fledges. In fummer, if there be no extenfive rain, for three or four weeks, the want of it is fe- verely felt. The years 1761 and 1762 were re- markable for early drought, which caufed a fcarcity of corn and hay ; the rain which fell in Auguft, brought forward the latter feed in the paftures and fields. The year 1782 was remarkable for a late drought ; the latter feed and the autumnal vegetables, were deftroyed. In October, the grafs was fo dry as to crackle under the feet. The long continuance of drought is obferved to produce a coolnefs in the air. Thefe droughts do not affect the mountainous parts of the country, fo much as the plains ; which are alfo more injured by early frofts than the higher lands.
In the fpring, the trees which have been felled the
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preceding year, are burned in the new plantations. If the feafon be dry, the flames fpread in the woods, and a large extent of the foreft is fometimes on fire at once. Fences and buildings are often deftroyed by thefe raging conflagrations. The only effectual way to prevent the fpreading of fuch a fire, is to kindle another at a diftance, and to drive the flame along through the bufhes, or dry grafs, to meet the greater fire, that all the fuel may be confumed. This operation requires a large number of people, and no fmall degree of dexterity and refolution. In fwamps, a fire has been known to penetrate feveral feet under the ground, and confume the roots of trees. When a fire has raged to this degree, nothing can extinguifh it but a heavy rain.
From thefe numerous fires arife immenfe clouds of fmoke, mingled with the burnt leaves of the trees, which are carried to great diftances by the wind. Thefe clouds meeting with other vapours in the at- mofphere, fometimes produce very fingular appear- ances. The unufual darknefs of the nineteenth of May, 1780, was caufed by fuch a combination of vapours.
Fires had fpread very extenfively in the woods, and the wefterly wind had driven the fmoke over all the country. It was fo thick near the horizon, for feveral preceding days, that the fun difappeared half an hour before its fetting ; and in the low grounds, it was almoft fuffocating. The morning of the nineteenth was cloudy, with fome rain ; and a black cloud appeared in the fouthweft, from which thunder was heard. The rain water, and the fur- face of rivers, was covered with a footy fcum. The remains of a fnow drift, which had been raked clean the preceding day, became black. Several finall birds flew into the houfes, and others were found dead abroad, being fuffocated. About an hour be-
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fore noon, the clouds affumed a braffy appearance ; after which their colour became a dufky grey ; at one hour after noon it was neceffary to light candles.
At the time of the greateft obfcuration, the fmoke of a chimney was obferved to rife perpendicularly, and then incline to the weft. A thick fog, which came in from the fea, moved along the hill tops in the fame direction. The place where thefe obferva- tions were made, was at Dover, fifteen miles diftant from the fea. A light gleam was feen in the north. The extent of this darknefs, was more than two hundred miles, from north to fouth. To the weft- ward, it reached beyond Albany, and it was obferv- ed, by a veffel at fea, fifteen leagues eaftward of Cape-Anne.
The darknefs varied its appearance, in fome places, through the afternoon ; but in the maritime parts of New-Hampfhire, there was no ceffation or inter- ruption of it ; and the evening prefented a complete fpecimen of as total darknefs as can be conceived. Before midnight, the vapors difperfed, and the next morning there was no appearance of them ; but for feveral days after, clouds of fmoke were feen in mo- tion, and the burnt leaves of trees were wafted abroad by the wind.
In the neighborhood of frefh rivers and ponds a whitifh fog in the morning, lying over the water, is a fure indication of fair weather for that day ; and when no fog is feen, rain is expected before night. In the mountainous parts of the country, the afcent of vapors, and their formation into clouds, is a curi- ous and entertaining object. The vapors are feen rifing in finall columns, like fmoke from many chim- neys. When rifen to a certain height, they fpread, meet, condenfe, and are attracted by the mountains, where they either diftil in gentle dews, and replen-
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ifh the fprings, or defcend in fhowers, accompanied with thunder. After fhort intermiffions, the procefs is repeated many times, in the courfe of a fummer day, affording to travellers a lively illuftration of what is obferved in the book of Job, 'they are wet ' with the thowers of the mountains.'*
The aurora borealis was firft noticed in New- Hampfhire, in the year 1719.+ The elder people fay it is much more frequent now than formerly. It fometimes appears in the form of a luminous arch, extending from eaft to weft ; but more commonly rifes from a dark convexity in the north, and flafh- es upward, toward the zenith. In a calm night, and in the intervals between gentle flaws of wind, an at- tentive ear, in a retired fituation, may perceive it to be accompanied with a found .; This luminous ap- pearance has been obferved in all feafons of the year, in the extremes of heat and cold, and in all the in- termediate degrees. The colour of the ftreams is fometimes variegated, white, blue, yellow and red, the luftre of which, reflected from the fnow, is an appearance highly picturefque and entertaining.
* Job xxiv. 8.
t The following account of this appearance is taken from the Boston News-Letter, of March 14, 1720,
" The late extraordinary appearance in the heavens, of December 11, is the first of the kind that is known to have been seen in New-England, and was at the same time ob- served throughout the country. Some say it was seen at three several times, viz, at right, twelve, and again toward morning. The account of some, is, of a cloud lying lengthway, toward the northwest and northeast ; from the ends of which arose two clouds, ascending toward the middle of the heavens, of a deep red colour, and almost meeting each other, then descending toward the place whence they arose. The air was light in the time of it, as a little after sun set, or before sun rise ; and some saw lights, something like shooting stars, streaming upwards from the clouds. It was seen in our towns all along ; and the great variety of accounts, may in part proceed from this, that some saw only one, others another of its appearances."
# If any person would have a precise idea of the sound, caused by the flashing of the aurora borealis, let him hold a silk handkerchief by the corner, in one hand, and with the thumb and finger of the other hand, make a quick stroke along its edge.
Mr. Hearne in his journey to the northern ocean says, that he has frequently heard the northern lights " make a rustling and crackling noise, like the waving of a large flag in a fresh gale of wind."-Page 224, 4to edition.
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CHAP. III.
Face of the Country .- Sea coast .- Mountains.
THE whole extent of the fea coaft, from the fouthern boundary, to the mouth of Pafcataqua harbour, is about eighteen miles. The fhore is moftly a fandy beach, within which are falt marfh- es, interfected by creeks. There are feveral coves for fithing veffels ; but the only harbour for fhips, is the entrance of Pafcataqua, where the fhore is rocky. Some ledges and points of rocks, are fituate to the fouthward of the harbour, off Rye ; but there is no remarkable head land on the coaft. Two bluffs only appear, elevated above the level of the beach, which are called the great and little Boar's heads ; thefe are in the town of Hampton.
Theremarkablemountain, Agamenticus, lies about four leagues north of the entrance of Pafcataqua, and there are three inferior fummits, known by the name of Froft's hills, at a lefs diftance, on the N. W. Thefe are fituate within the County of York, formerly called the I'rovince of Maine ; but from the fea, no remarkable high lands appear, which are within the limits of New-Hampfhire, nearer than twenty or thirty miles. The firft ridge is continued through the towns of Rochefter, Barrington and Nottingham, and the feveral fummits are diflinguithed by differ- ent names, as Teneriffe, Saddleback, Tuckaway, &c. but the general name is the Blue Hills. Be- yond thefe, are feveral higher ones, as Mount major, Moofe mountain, &c. thefe are not in a continued range, but detached ; between them are many finall- er elevations, fome of which are, and others are rot diftinctly named. Farther back the mountains rife
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higher, and among the third range, Chocorua, Ofa- py and Kyarfarge, claim the preeminence. Beyond thefe, is the lofty ridge, which is commonly called the height of land, becaufe it feparates the branches of the river Connecticut, from thofe of Merrimack. In this ridge is the Grand Monadnock, twenty-two miles eaft of the river Connecticut, and ten miles north of the fouthern boundary line. Thirty miles north of this, lies Sunnapce mountain, and forty eight miles farther, in the fame direction, is Meothe- lock. The ridge then is continued, northeafterly, dividing the waters of the river Connecticut from thofe of Saco and Amarifcoggin. Here the moun- tains rife much higher, and the moft elevated fum- mits in this range, are the White mountains.
Mountains appear of different colours, according to the nature of their exterior furface, the feafun of the year, and the diftance of the obferver. They are all covered with wood, the finaller ones wholly, the larger have bald fummits, which appear white, as long as the fhow remains ; but at other times, vary their colour according to the diftance of the obferver. If he is very nigh, they appear of the grey colour of the rock, and the farther he recedes, their appearance is a paler blue, till it becomes near- ly of the colour of the fky. The woody parts of mountains when viewed at a finall diftance, are green, at a greater dittance, blue. From fome fa- vorable fituations, all thefe varieties may be feen at once ; mountains of different thades, textures and elevations, are prefented to the eye of the curious obferver.
The wood on thefe mountains, is of various kinds but they have all more or lefs of the ever- greens, as pine, fpruce, hemlock and fir, intermixed with fhrubs and vines. It is univerfally obferved that trees of every kind diminith in their fize to-
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ward the fummit ; many of them, though fhort, ap- pear to be very aged. On fome mountains we find a fhrubbery of hemlock and fpruce, whofe branches are knit together fo as to be impenetrable. The fnow lodges on their tops, and a cavity is formed underneath. Thefe are called by the Indians, Hak- mantaks.
On the tops of feveral of the higheft mountains, are finall collections of water, and on others marthy fpots, which are frequented by aquatic birds. The roads over these mountains which are paffable, are frequently wet and miry, while the valleys below are dry. About two or three feet under the fur- face of the mountain, is a firm earth, called the pan, which is impenetrable by water; the rains and dews are therefore retained in the fofter foil, or for- med into fprings and brooks. This soil is made by the rotting of fallen leaves and wood, the growth of paft ages.
We frequently obferve large rocks detached from the mountains, fome of them fo diftant from the bafe, that they could not have rolled thither but in fome convulfion of the earth. Smaller maffes are frequently diflodged by the thawing of the ground in the fpring, after it has been heaved up by the froft. In the year 1746, a party who were ranging the woods, in the neighbourhood of the White mountains, on a warm day, in the month of March, were alarmed with a repeated noife, which they fuppofed to be the firing of guns. On further fearch, they found it to be caufed by rocks, falling from the fouth fide of a fteep mountain .*
Mountainous countries are obferved to be moft fubject to earthquakes ; and the nearer any lands are to mountains, it may be expected that thefe
* Letter of Walter Bryent, Esq. who was one of the party.
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commotions will bemorefrequent. New-England has never been vifited with deftructive earthquakes ; but more fhocks have been obferved in its northern than in its fouthern parts. After the great fhocks in 1727 and 1755, which were perceived through a great part of the continent, finaller fhocks were more frequent in New-Hampshire than at Bofton. From 1755 to 1774, fcarcely a year paffed without fome repetition; from that time to 1783, none were obferved ; and there have been but two or three fince.
Several phenomena refpecting the larger moun- tains, afford matter of amufement ; and fome are of real ufe. People who live near them, humour- oufly ftyle the mountains their almanack, becaufe, by the afcent and attraction of vapors, they can form a judgment of the weather. If a cloud is at- tracted by a mountain, and hovers on its top, they predict rain ; and if after rain, the mountain con- tinues capped, they expect a repetition of lhowers. A ftorm is preceded for feveral hours, by a roaring of the mountain, which may be heard ten or twelve miles. This is frequently obferved by people who live near the grand Monadnock. It is alfo faid, that when there is a perfect calm on the fouth fide, there is fometimes a furious wind on the north, which drives the fnow, fo that it is feen whirling far above the trees .*
The town of Moultonborough lies under the S. W. fide of the great Offapy mountain ; and it is there obferved, that in a N. E. ftorm, ' the wind ' falls over the mountain, like water over a dam ; 'and with fuch a force as frequently to unroof the ' houfes.'t
The altitude of this mountain, has not been af- certained ; but that of the grand Monadnock was meafured in 1780, by James Winthrop, Efq. by
*Ainsworth's MS, letter.
+ Shaw's MS, letter.
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means of a barometer, and the table of correfpond- ing heights, in Martin's Philofishia Britanica *. At the bafe, on the north fide, the barometer being at 28,4, gave an elevation of 1895 feet. At the upper edge of the wood, it was 27,0, which denoted 2682 feet ; and at the higheft point of the rock, 20,4, which announced an elevation of 3254 feet above the level of the fea.
The bafe of this mountain is about five miles in diameter, from north to fouth ; and about three, from eaft to weft. Its fummit is a bald rock ; on fome parts of it are large piles of broken rocks ; and on the fides are fome appearances of the explo- fion of fubterraneous fires.
A fimilar phenomenon has been obferved on a mountain, in the townthip of Chefterfield, adjoining Connecticut river, called Weft river mountain. A- bout the year 1730, the garrifon of Fort Dummer, diftant four miles, was alarmed with frequent ex- plofions, and with columns of fire and fioke, enit- ted from the mountain. The like appearances have been obferved at various times fince ; particularly, one in 1752, was the moft violent of any. There are two places, where the rocks bear marks of hav- ing been heated and calcined. A company of per- fons having conceived a notion of precious metals being contained in this mountain, have penetrated it in various directions ; and have found further evidences of internal fires ; particularly a large quantity of fcorice, in fome parts loofe, in others ad- hering to the rocks. The only valuable effect of their induftry, is the difcovery of a fine, foft, yellow earth, which when burned, is changed into a brown pigment ; and another of the colour of the peach bloffom. There is alfo obferved on the earth, which has been thrown out, a white incruftation, which has the tafte of nitre. The top of the mountain is
Vol. 11. page 132.
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an area, of about twenty rods fquare, which is hol- low ; and in a wet feafon, is filled with water, as is common on the tops of mountains ; but there is no appearance of fuch a crater as is peculiar to volca-
nos. Under the mountain, are many fragments of rock, which have fallen from it; but whether by explofions, or any other convulfions, or by force of the froil, cannot be afcertained. An account of thefe appearances was fent to the Academy of arts and fciences, by the late Daniel Jones, Efq. of Hinf- dale .* Since which, it is faid, that the noife has been again heard ; but in a late vifit to the moun- tain, by the Rev. Mr. Gay, no fign of any recent explofion, could be difcovered ; nor can any thing be added to what Mr. Jones has written on the fubject. t
* Memoirs Vol. 1. page 312.
t Gay's MS, letter Oct. 29, 1790.
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CH A P. IV.
Particular Description of the White Mountains.
FROM the earlieft fettlement of the coun- try, the White mountains have attracted the atten- tion of all forts of perfons. They are undoubtedly the higheft land in New-England, and in clear wea- ther, are difcovered before any other land, by veffels. coming in to the eaftern coaft; but by reafon of their white appearance, are frequently miftaken for clouds. They are vifible on the land at the diftance of eighty miles, on the fouth and foutheaft fides ; they appear higher when viewed from the northeaft, and it is faid, they are feen from the neighbourhood of Chamble and Quebec. The Indians gave them the name of Agiocochook : They had a very ancient tradition that their country was once drowned, with all its inhabitants, except one Powaw and his wife, who, forefecing the flood, fled to thefe mountains, where they were preferved, and that from them the country was re-peopled .* They had a fuperftitious veneration for the fummit, as the habitation of in- vifible beings ; they never ventured to afcend it, and always endeavoured to diffuade every one from the attempt. From them, and the captives, whom they fometimes led to Canada, through the paffes of thefe mountains, many fictions have been propagated, which have given rife to marvellous and incredible ftories ; particularly, it has been reported, that at immenfe and inacceffible heights, there have been feen carbuncles, which are fuppofed to appear lu- minous in the night. Some writers, who have at-
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